94.3% cure rate among participants who started hepatitis C treatment

The C-Free Steering Committee and Study Update Meeting was convened on October 5 at Siam Novotel in Bangkok. Over fifty representatives from key stakeholders attended this meeting, including Thai DDC/MOPH, NHSO, HITAP, the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund (Thailand), Global Fund (Geneva), FHI360, PHPT, HIV-NAT, IHRI, BIOPHICS, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration health centers and Office of Drug Use, Raks Thai, Ozone, and Thai Drug Users Network. Dr. Tanyaporn Wansom presented key findings from the interim analysis of C-Free. Additionally, participants engaged in policy and advocacy discussions focused on expanding community models of care and access to HIV and viral hepatitis testing and treatment with direct acting antivirals (DAAs). The key study findings to date underscore a high demand for community services and show that the use of Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir is safe and effective in people living with HIV, actively using drugs, and with cirrhosis. These include:

1. 86.5% of participants who were eligible for HCV treatment have started treatment in the C-Free Study at community based centers. Many of those who have not started are waiting to switch their HIV therapy to a regimen that can be taken concomitantly with Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir.

2. Excellent per-protocol HCV cure (SVR) rate of 94.1%, and intention-to-treat cure rate of 86%. The vast majority of participants who start HCV therapy as part of C-Free are cured from hepatitis C infection.

3. High adherence to study drug has been confirmed for those who started HCV treatment at community drop-in centers. No differences were seen at weeks 4, 8, or 12. Overall adherence was 97% by pill count.  

4. No serious adverse events were considered probably or definitely related to Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir.

As a result of the success of the study, Dreamlopments and all partners are working hard to further expand this model of care in new locations in Thailand.